AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Will Conant understands that replicating success in football can be every bit as hard as first achieving it.
Yet that’s exactly what the Air Force kicker has done.
Conant exploded onto the scene last year, hitting 11-of-13 field goals in his debut season. He’s been even better this year as a senior, connecting on 13-of-14 attempts for the Falcons, who are 6-2.
“It is harder to do it again because you’re expected, so it’s a little different,” Conant said. “You aren’t trying to open people’s eyes; you’ve got to keep them open.”
Conant’s performance Saturday in Air Force’s 23-6 victory at Army earned him his first Mountain West special-teams player of week honor. He kicked three field goals, including his Air Force record-tying fifth from 50 yards, and had a 58-yard punt to go with two others inside the 20-yard line.
Oh, yes. Did we mention his encore season has included the added responsibilities of punting?
Those are two high-stress positions for one player, but Conant does it while maintaining a carefree grin. He has achieved this first by subtracting outside distractions — he deleted the Twitter app from his phone during the season. Second, he tries to narrow his focus. Instead of feeling the burden of kicking for the team, he tries to perform for those closest to him, such as holder Brett Dunn or long snapper Harrison Elliott.
Air Force’s coaching staff has tried to help by monitoring Conant’s workload in practices, keeping tabs on how many times he’s swinging his leg and in which discipline. The staff has certainly enjoyed the services of a kicker whose 92.9 percent field-goal accuracy ranks first in the conference and seventh nationally. As a punter, he is second in the conference with a 43.3-yard average.
The only thing Conant hasn’t faced yet is the need to make a tackle, which could certainly be a part of his job as punter. He’s confident he will be able to lean on years as a soccer goalkeeper and be able to position his body in a way that he could make a tackle or force a returner out of bounds.
“I’m not trying to go for a huge hit — stick my face in there and crush someone and get a highlight — because that’s not what it’s about,” Conant said.
